Nouri nakatutok sa First IM Norm

SARDINIA, ITALY — Nakatutok si Filipino Fide Master (FM) Alekhine Fabiosa Nouri sa kanyang unang International Master (IM) norm sa pagpapatuloy ng World Junior Chess Championship 2022 na ginaganap sa Club Esse Palmasera Resort, Cala Gonone, sa Sardinia, Italy.

Ang 79th seeded Nouri (Elo 2251) ay nakipag-draw kay 33rd seed Antoni Kozak (Elo 2440) ng Poland sa 56 moves ng Caro-kann defense sa Saturday’s fifth round.

Tangan niya ang 2.5 points mula sa one win, three draws at loss sa five outings sa Open Under 20 division.

“I hope to continue the momentum I’ve got,” sabi ng 16-anyos na si Nouri, tubong Escalante City, Negros Occidental, na ang kanyang European chess campaign ay suportado nina Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose “Bong” Villareal Lacson, Provincial Sports Coordinator Anthony Carlo Agustin, Senator Mark Villar, Bounty Agro Ventures, Inc. (BAVI) President & General Manager Ronald Daniel Ricaforte Mascariñas, Buena Viel Construction and Project Management top honcho Engr. Jojo Buenaventura, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan mayor Arthur Robes, NCFP Vice President for Visayas Rep. Neri Javier Colmenares at NCFP Vice President for Mindanao Sen. Manny Pacquiao.

Samantala, panalo si Woman National Master Mhage Gerriahlou F. Sebastian (Elo 1865) kontra kay Woman Fide Master Gabija Simkunaite (Elo 2014) ng Lithuania sa 34 moves ng Sicilian Defense, Rossolimo variation tungo sa total 3.0 points mula sa 3 wins at 2 loses sa Girls Under 20 division.

Ang PH chess campain ay suportado rin nina National Chess Federation of the Philippines chairman/president Prospero “Butch” Arreza Pichay, Jr., NCFP CEO GM Jayson O. Gonzales, Philippine Sports Commission led by chairman Jose Emmanuel “Noli” M. Eala, commissioner Olivia “Bong” Coo and executive secretary Atty. Guillermo B. Iroy Jr., Philippine Olympic Committee president and Tagaytay city mayor Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, Jr., ng office of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for European Affairs Jaime Victor B. Ledda at FIDE delegate Casto “Toti” Abundo ng Asian Chess Federation.

Sina Nouri at Sebastian ay sinamahan sa Italy nina National Master Almario Marlon Quiroz Bernardino, Jr., at Susan Grace Tana Neri, bilang kanilang mga coach. (MARLON BERNARDINO)